


You Promised

by onihunter305



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Angst, Break Up, Devestated Alec, Devestated Magnus, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Malec, Not Happy, Post Episode s02e18, Protective Isabelle Lightwood, Protective Jace, Spoilers, You've been warned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 02:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11681667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onihunter305/pseuds/onihunter305
Summary: Magnus had made one promise to Jace, only one. And he broke that promise.





	You Promised

**Author's Note:**

> So, like everyone else I am absolutely devastated by the latest episode. I mean, they gave us all the Malec feels we've hoped and dreamed for through the flashbacks and then delivered the death blow at the end. Of course I don't truly believe it's the end for Malec, and I hope they find some kind of common ground by the end of this season, but who knows. 
> 
> Anyway, this story is based on the 8th episode of season 2, the conversation between Magnus and Jace on the balcony. I feel as though Jace would have felt Alec's pain and wanted to do something to help him. 
> 
> And as much as I hope for a happy ending for our boys, this fic does not have one. You have been warned!

Jace had been watching over Max as he spoke briefly with their parents about what Sebastian had done to him and how he had figured him out. He couldn’t believe how close they had come to losing him, and all due to the fact that they trusted some shadowhunter who had unbelievable timing. Jace hated himself for ever trusting the traitor.

He had never before felt the fear that had engulfed him when he got Alec’s text stating that they had lost Max. He had felt as though his whole world was crumbling beneath him and there was nothing he could do to stand steady. 

The pounding of this heart and the pain that had settled there was just beginning to fade when it returned with a vengeance. Jace felt as though his heart was breaking and he couldn’t identify why. His hand absently began to rub his chest, trying to ease the phantom ache that was spreading. 

Jace looked around for Alec, wondering if his parabatai was feeling the same pain he was. When his search came up empty his eyes widened with the epiphany that this ache he was feeling was originating from a different source than he originally thought, it was coming from Alec. 

He looked over at Izzy with frightened and concerned eyes, she met his gaze with a quizzical one. 

“What?” She whispered, not wanting to draw attention to whatever was going on with Jace at the moment. 

“Where is Alec?” Jace said, his hand rubbing the area above his heart harder, trying to find some relief. 

“He went to talk to Magnus, why?” She replied, her eyebrows raising at the sight of him rubbing his chest and the concerned look that graced his face. 

“Something is wrong,” was all Jace said before exiting the room. The pain he felt throbbing through his connection with Alec was growing and gnawing at him. It wasn’t the kind of pain that meant Alec was injured, it was the kind of pain that meant Alec was devastated emotionally. 

Rounding the corner Jace was shocked to see Alec slumped against the wall. Jace rushed over, looking for any outward signs of physical injuries to add to the emotional ones he could already identify through their bond. Finding none, Jace quickly came to a conclusion on what happened.

“Alec, hey,” Jace said, kneeling in front of him and gently trying to pull him out of his unfocused stupor. 

“I… he…” Alec struggled to speak. His voice was rough and Jace could tell he was holding everything together with a thread. 

“It’s okay,” Jace said, not wanting to make Alec talk about it if he wasn’t ready. “You take your time.”

“Mag…” Alec tried to begin again, only making it halfway through the name before choking over it and losing whatever control he had. Jace pulled him tight to his body as his brother, the other half of his soul, sobbed into his shoulder. He could feel Alec’s devastation and he wanted to kick and scream and do whatever he could to stop him from feeling that way.

“I’m so sorry Alec,” was all Jace could think to say. He knew there was nothing he could say to take away Alec’s pain. 

He held on tight until Alec had cried out all his tears. During that time Jace had freed one hand to text Izzy and let her know that Alec was going to need their support in the upcoming days. She had immediately guessed what had happened and her heart was breaking for her sweet and sensitive brother. 

Eventually they got him back to Jace’s room. It was the only room in the Institute that Alec was able to feel comfortable in besides his own. Jace figured Alec wouldn’t want to spend a night alone in his room, his room that he hadn’t slept in for weeks. He invited Izzy to stay with Alec once he was settled, claiming he had something that needed to be done. 

Still feeling the debilitating sadness that flowed freely between him and Alec, Jace set out for Brooklyn. 

The walk was relatively short, Alec’s pain driving him to move without thinking until he was standing in front of a very familiar loft door. Taking one deep breath, Jace knocked and waited.

~*~

Magnus had been sitting on the couch, staring out at nothing, useless drink in one hand. 

When he returned home he had immediately felt the emptiness that it held. His loft had become a home with Alec’s presence, but now that presence had turned cold and Magnus could barely stand it. Pouring himself a drink was useless, he knew alcohol couldn’t numb this pain. 

The rose from the Seelie court lay on his coffee table, the last licks of color fading out to black as he stared at it. He had no answer for the Seelie Queen. He knew Luke was right when he had stated that joining forces with the Seelie’s would mean war, but he also knew that the downworld wasn’t safe in the hands of the Clave. They had proven, time and again, that what came first would always be Shadowhunters. 

Magnus knew the right thing to do, for his people, would be to align himself with the Seelies. They were a powerful force to be reckoned with. But it would mean essentially declaring war against the Clave as they broke the Accords. He couldn’t knowingly do that, he couldn’t place himself on the opposite side of a battle against Alec. He meant what he said when he said he still loved him.

He was pulled out of his musings by a rather insistent knocking on his door. Magnus felt himself wondering who it was. He knew Alec enough to know that it wasn’t him. The insecure man he left broken at the institute would never have been able to chase him all the way back to Brooklyn after what had just transpired between them. So that left the rest of the downworld and shadowworld, great.

Pulling himself off the couch and placing his full tumbler next to the dead and decayed black rose, Magnus stood and made his way to the door. Of all the people he expected to see on the other side, he was actually surprised when the door swung open to reveal Jace Herondale. 

“Jace,” Magnus said, many thoughts running through his head. His immediate reaction was fear, Jace only came to him when something was wrong. After what had transpired at the Institute that night, there was a plethora of horrible things that could have occurred. 

“Magnus,” Jace replied, his voice cold and angry.

“Oh…” Magnus sighed. He knew why Jace was there, he was there for Alec. 

“Don’t ‘oh’ me Warlock. I warned you once that I wouldn’t let anyone hurt Alec. I warned you how sensitive he was. You assured me that we had one thing in common, Alec’s happiness,” Jace said, his words biting in the anger he felt. 

“He lied to me,” Magnus replied, hating how he hurt Alec but also hating how Alec had hurt him.

“He sacrificed everything for you,” Jace replied, not giving Magnus a moment to justify his actions. 

“He kept the location of the soul sword a secret, after everything that happened when Valentine took over the institute. After downworlders died due to it’s activation, an activation that you took part in I might add,” Magnus shot back.

“Robert entrusted that knowledge to him, knowing that if Alec told anyone, it would mean immediate de-runing. He agonized over telling me, his parabatai. He had spoken to Izzy about telling you, knowing that it would put his very existence as he knew it in danger. He was wiling to sacrifice his life and family to tell you to keep you safe,” Jace said, his face turning red with anger. “He was going to tell you, he just hadn’t figured out how yet.”

Magnus took a moment to allow Jace’s words sink in. He knew Alec loved him, but he also knew that Alec was bound by honor and duty. Alec was fiercely loyal to his family and would do anything to make sure they were safe and happy. It wasn’t that Magnus wanted Alec to put him before his family, but he did want him to trust him enough to at least include him. 

“I understand that Alexander had an impossible decision to make. But that doesn’t change the fact that he lied to me, he withheld important information after he promised transparency. I respect the fact that he has rules to follow to protect himself and your people. But in the same respect you have to understand that I have rules to follow as well. For too long I have blindly allowed my love for Alec to usurp my thoughts and actions, thoughts and actions that should have been overwhelmed with ways to protect my people, my kind,” Magnus said, needing to say his part. 

“That may be true but Alec has never put his people before you. Every thought he has, every action he has taken as head of the Institute has been to better the downworld, because of you. Don’t get me wrong, Alec has always had the biggest heart of any shadowhunter I know, but his measures to bring in the downworld leaders to try and put everyone on the same page was solely to find ways to protect you. I have never felt Alec so happy as when he was with you, and right now I have never felt him in so much pain.” Jace said, absentmindedly rubbing his chest where he could still feel the painful ache of Alec’s broken heart. 

“I love Alec, and in many ways I will always love Alec, but I can’t let my love for him guide decisions I need to make to insure the survival of my people. As High Warlock I owe them that much,” Magnus said, feeling his heart break further hearing how much pain Alec was in.

“If you loved him, as you claim to, you wouldn’t hurt him like this,” Jace spat out.

“It’s because I love him that I’m doing this,” Magnus said, slowly pushing Jace back through his door until he was outside the confines of his loft. “I know I have no right to ask favors of you, but please take care of him.”

With that statement Magnus allowed his door to shut and he warded it against guests. He knew he had to make a visit to the Seelie court to deliver his decision. But before he could manage to do that, he fell to his knees. Tears filled his eyes, and for the first time since leaving Alec at the Institute, he felt himself dissolve into sobs.


End file.
